Living in More Than One World

To further your introspection about careers and the workplace, read the thought-provoking Huffington Post entry by the business psychologist and psychotherapist Douglas LaBier, The 4.0 Career Is Coming…Are You Ready? I took an engaging continuing education class taught by LaBier in 1999 for the Smithsonian Associates, in Washington. He also blogs for Psychology Today. His 4.0 post outlines the different stages of careers. In some ways, the ladders from 1.0 to 4.00 are reminiscent of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. LaBier starts with the most basic to the most evolved (and for many, elusive) 4.0, which reaches beyond the 3.0 search for meaning, purpose and balance in one’s work to assuring that it has a positive impact on others. “In essence,” LaBier writes, “the 4.0 careerist is motivated by a sense of service to and connection with the larger human community through the product or service he or she contributes to.” With high unemployment, work in the 3.0 and 4.0 spheres may seem like an unattainable luxury for many. Yet considering work in LaBier’s framework is a useful exercise to help us think about and determine what we really want from how we spend so much of our time and effort. And even if a career of this type may not be possible now, it doesn’t mean that always will be the case.  LaBier also provides a list of 10 points “to assess yourself and your work environment in relation to the 4.0 careerist.” Some of these can be thought of as best-case scenarios; the type of work environment you’d like to aim for, but that probably does not exist in many places. Then again, if you are in the right position, you can work towards creating these ideal environments, for you and others. One final thought: 4.0, as evolved as it is, probably isn’t the ultimate. What will constitute the 5.0 Career, and beyond?

After my Peter Drucker-related presentations in Claremont earlier this month, I went to New York last week for three speaking engagements: for SLA NYC (held at METRO headquarters), at Baruch College and for the London Business School Club of New York. I was honored to be associated with all these organizations, if only for a short period of time. I met many interesting people at all three events: students, professors, librarians and business people. Baruch College was a particular revelation: a super-vibrant school with highly diverse students. I did not previously know a lot about Bernard Baruch, the alum whom the school was named for. I discovered that he was somewhat Drucker-like, and not just because a school of higher education was named after him. Although they were in different professions, both lived intentional lives of purpose. And both thought about how their work had ramifications beyond themselves, to the world at large. In particular, I was struck by Baruch’s advice – similar to Drucker’s — to take time for self-reflection and contemplation, no matter how busy you are. The London Business School event was on November 11; the fifth anniversary of Drucker’s death. And it was appropriate to go from Claremont, where Drucker lived from 1971 until his death in 2005; to New York, where he lived for many years prior. He taught at New York University, and wrote many of his most important books during those years. The city is also home to the Leader to Leader Institute (formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management), and the Drucker Society of New York City. Last year I did a “fireside chat” with Leader to Leader President and Chief Executive Officer Frances Hesselbein (who wrote the foreword to my book Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life), for the Drucker Society, my only New York event until last week. I left in an energized state of mind, looking forward to more presentations there in 2011.

I’ve just returned from several days in Claremont, Ca., based around the activities for Drucker Centennial Day, which marked the end of a two-year period honoring the life and legacy of Peter Drucker. November 19 is the 101st anniversary of his birth, and he died five years ago this coming November 11. The events were produced by the Drucker Institute at the Claremont Graduate University, home of the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management. The alternately rousing and introspective keynote on Saturday morning was delivered by Tom Peters. I helped coordinate the Drucker Authors Festival segment, and was on the panel “Lessons From Drucker’s Life,” with Jack Beatty and William Cohen. “What Would Drucker Do Now?” had  Jorge Vasconcellos e Sá, Winfried Weber and Gladius Kulothungan; and “Drucker in Historical Context” had Joe Maciariello, Jack Bergstrand and Mike Wood. Although I did not see Kenneth Hopper’s presentation “Turning the World Upside Down,” I was fortunate to have seen the presentation he did with his brother Will Hopper last Thursday, for the Drucker School students, based on their book The Puritan Gift. Other than Cohen, Weber and Maciariello, I had not met the other Drucker-related authors in person before, and getting to know them, and the Hoppers, was a highlight. I also did my own presentation, Designing Your Total Life the Peter Drucker Way, at the Drucker School on Friday morning. It was great to meet new friends who attended, as well as to reconnect with friends from my previous times in Claremont. We had a stimulating impromptu discussion afterwards. The centennial may be over, but the Drucker Institute has a number of promising things in the pipeline, including several more books. The Drucker School is growing and gaining more attention. Both institutions continue to not only honor, but to extend and deepen Peter Drucker’s legacy.